Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1887-07-16
THE PRESIDENT AND HIS BLuNDERs

There never will be any unanimous ver-
dict concerning the trouble about Pres
ident Cleveland's invitation to St. Louis
and his declination opinions will remain
divided concerning it. Had the citizens
of st. Louis, who are arranging for the en-
tertainment of the Grand Army, not has
tened to invite the President, probably
there would have been no trouble. 1t was
the efftlsiveness of the committee that
brought it all about. The local posts of
the Grand Army at st. Louis extended to
the President an invitation to attend at
that city on the occasion of the National
Encampment of the body. This he in
tended to accept. 1t was a blunder on his
part that he did not do so before replying
to the st. Louis committee that called upon
him. The Grand Army posts very prop
erly invited the President of the United
States; his office, the chief representative
position in the republic, justified and
suggested that such a courtesy should be
extended. While considering if he could
arrange for trip to the west so as to be at
st. Louis at the time indicated, the Pres
ident delayed responding. In the mean
time the st. Louis citizens Grand Army
reception committee called upon him and
was so pressing in the matter of their in
vitation for reply, that he made the
mistake of accepting then and there.
Some part of the membership Of the Grand
Army, in the West especially, thereupon
took ofense. 1t was conceived by
these members that the citizens invita-
ton and its acceptance had political sig
nificanec; that it was in line with scheme
to make capital for the Democratic party.
The blood once being up there was added
the complaint of the vetoes of the special
pension bills. Probably those Grand
Army men, on cool deliberation, will
the action taken by them. The We
toes were made in the exercise of right
by an official, and to introduce them
in matter wholly foreign was, to
say the least, bad taste. The spirit
of General Sherman is of the right
order. He wrote that it makes no
difference to him what the Presidents
idea of his duty may be; he will go to St.
Louis and march before or stand beside
the Chief Magistrate, just as may be de-
sired, and pay him due respect and honor.
He regrets that any of the Grand Army
should have been led to protest against the
visitation. But the President has written |
a letter of defamation, and plainly states
that it is induced by the antagonistic ex-
pressions referred to- and he takes occasion |
to show his chagrin, to say that he feels |
hurt, and to indulge in some bitter sar-
casm-as, that he is, for one thing, led to |
decline that certain Grand Army Posts |
which declare they will not attend if he
does, may not be prevented from keeping
an engagement for which they have been
so long preparing. And this letter is the
second blunder of Mr.. Cleveland 1t was
beneath the dignity of his office to have
INDUCED in the reflection his letter con-
tains. 1t would have been sufficient for
him to have declined if he felt that the
right thing to do; to accept if he was
braYe enough, or to say that he would not
be the cause of possible contention. Any
thing defensive from the President OF the
United States in this matter was unbecom-
ing. His letter justifes the construction
either that he fears, or that like soured
boy he is grumpishly mad. 1t will be con-
strued as retreat parallel with that he
made in the battle-fag trouble, though in
fact that backward movement was the only
wise step he took in the affair. 1t was
blunder on the part of Mr.. Cleveland to
intimate that he would not go to ST. Louis
because of possible manifestation; against
him there. 1t has not at any Time APP
peared that it was the intention Of the
Grand Army men to treat the President